Kiev, 21 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country is increasingly relying on drones of all kinds in its defence against the Russian invasion.

"This is an obvious priority of the state and a concrete way to protect the lives of our warriors," Zelensky said in his evening video address on Wednesday.

He said he had spoken at a consultation with the government and military in Kiev about what drones were in storage, what was needed on the front line.

"Logistics will be expedited," said the President. Work is also underway to improve the effectiveness of drones.
The importance of drones of all sizes has increased greatly in the almost 22 months of the war.

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers use small camera drones to observe every move of the enemy on the battlefield. Such aircraft can also drop small explosive charges over tanks or trenches.

The Ukrainians use them to partially compensate for their low stocks of artillery ammunition, but Russia has very effective technology for jamming the electronics of enemy drones.

At the same time, Russia deploys Iranian-made drones against civilian targets in Ukrainian cities almost every night, which crash into their target with an explosive charge at the end of their flight.

Ukraine is further developing its drones and giving them greater range. So far, however, the damage they cause when attacking targets in Russia has been limited.

Photo: MIA archive